Steamed Duck Stuffed With Chinese Lettuce Recipes

DEEP-FRIED STEAMED WEST LAKE DUCK

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried mushrooms. 2. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Dry well with paper toweling or hang up to dry in a cool, airy place 1 to 2 hours. 3. Rub duck lightly with soy sauce. Then truss (see HOW-TO, _Poultry: To truss). 4. Heat oil to boiling. Using a wire basket or long-handled Chinese strainer, gently lower in duck and deep-fry, basting and turning, until golden. Drain quickly. Rinse in a pan of cold water and drain again. Untie duck. 5. Transfer bird to a large heatproof bowl. Dice giblets slice ginger root and add, along with star anise. Combine sherry, salt, honey and remaining soy sauce and pour over. Meanwhile boil water in another pan, and also pour over duck. 6. Steam by the bowl-in-a-pot method until duck is done, but stil1 firm (about 1 3/4 hours). See HOW-TO, _Steaming. 7. Remove duck and let cool. Bone then cut meat in bite-size squares, each with a piece of skin. Strain duck liquid, skimming off fat. 8. Return duck squares, skin-side up, to heatproof bowl. Add strained duck liquid and steam 15 minutes more. 9. Meanwhile shred bamboo shoots, celery and soaked mushrooms. In a saucepan, bring remaining duck liquid to a boil. Add shredded vegetables and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. 10. Cut smoked ham in strips. Chop Chinese parsley. Blend cornstarch and cold water to a paste and stir into duck liquid to thicken. Pour over duck squares and serve, garnished with ham strips and chopped parsley. NOTE: This recipe can be made with chicken as well as duck. VARIATIONS: * In step 5, omit the seasonings given and pour over duck and giblets the following mixture: 1 1/2 cups stock 1 slice fresh ginger root and 1 clove garlic, both minced and 1 cup canned button mushrooms. Also omit the water. * In step 10, arrange duck squares on a serving platter over 1 head lettuce, shredded or over 1 pound of any of the following: asparagus, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions or spinach. (These must be stir-fried first.) The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

STEAMED DUCK STUFFED WITH CHINESE LETTUCE

Steps:

• 1. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Dry well with paper toweling, or hang up to dry in a cool, airy place 1 to 2 hours. 2. Blanch lotus seeds. Slice ham cut Chinese lettuce in 1-inch sections. 3. Combine half of Chinese lettuce sections with lotus seeds and ham. Add salt and mix well. Stuff mixture into duck and sew up securely or skewer. 4. Heat oil in a large pan and brown duck quickly. 5. Place remaining lettuce sections in a large heatproof bowl then put duck on top. Steam by the bowl-in-a-pot method until duck is tender (about 2 hours). See HOW-TO, _Steaming. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

STEAMED AND ROASTED WHOLE DUCK

Steps:

• To reduce the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body.
• Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
• Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out.
• Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate.
• Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel.
• Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium.
• Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically.
• Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer and stir for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
• The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out.
• Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan.
• Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze.
• Stick the whole thing in the oven.
• Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color.
• Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark.
• The legs will wiggle easily when it's done.
• Carve and serve.

EASY "PEKING DUCK" LETTUCE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Place duck legs in a large bowl. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt, Chinese 5-spice, and black pepper. Mix ducks legs so all surfaces are coated with oil and seasonings.
• Sprinkle large pieces from 3 green onions into a baking dish large enough to hold the duck legs in a single layer. Place duck legs skin side up on top of the scallions. Scatter garlic clove halves over the duck legs. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the duck legs to help retain moisture. Tightly cover the entire baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake duck legs in preheated oven for 3 hours. Turn off the oven, open oven door just a crack, and let baking dish rest in oven for 1 hour; do not uncover dish during this time. Remove dish from oven and let it cool to room temperature. Baste duck legs with some of the rendered fat. Place the parchment paper back over the duck legs and re-wrap the dish in foil. Refrigerate overnight.
• Mix hoisin sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, and hot sauce, and together in a bowl.
• Remove bones from chilled duck legs; leave the skin on. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Place a tablespoon of rendered duck fat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir 1/2 of the cubed duck until pieces are brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the second 1/2 of the duck pieces and cook and stir until duck is just heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped green onions.
• Fill lettuce cups with a generous spoonful of the duck; drizzle serving sauce over the top. Garnish with diced cucumber, chopped green onions, and sesame seeds.

CHINATOWN STEAMED AND ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Duck is notoriously a fatty bird, to diminish the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body. Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out. Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate. Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel. Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium. Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically. Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until thick. The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out (this is great to use in other dishes like fried rice.) Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan. Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color. Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark. The legs will wiggle easily when it's done. Carve and serve.